1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a paintball sensor installing and positioning structure and, more particularly, to a structure including a paintball dropping conduit which is securely positioned when installed in a gun body and through which gas need not pass, thus allowing corresponding gas ducts to be connected regardless of the precision with which the paintball dropping conduit is installed in the gun body.
2. Description of the Related Art
Paintball guns are the essential equipment for playing paintball, which is a popular recreational activity worldwide that takes the form of survival games. In order to prevent blockage of unfired paintballs and consequently empty shots, which are a waste of the high-pressure gas used for propelling paintballs, a paintball gun is typically provided with a sensor and a paintball stopping device where paintballs are dropped in the gun body. For example, Taiwan Patent No. M356104, which was granted to the inventor of the present invention, discloses a “Hidden Paintball Sensor Installing Structure” as shown in FIG. 5, wherein the structure includes a sensor A, a paintball dropping conduit B, and a gun body C configured to receive the paintball dropping conduit B inserted therein. The sensor A has a transmitting end A1 and a receiving end A2 that correspond in position to each other. The sensor A further includes a mounting seat A3 provided at a lower portion thereof and centrally formed with an insertion hole A4. The paintball dropping conduit B has a bottom end externally and bilaterally provided with receiving grooves B1 into which the transmitting end A1 and the receiving end A2 of the sensor A are inserted respectively from below. The mounting seat A3 of the sensor A is pivotally mounted around a fixing element B2 protrudingly provided at the bottom end of the paintball dropping conduit B. Arcuate slots B3 are formed on the outer periphery of the paintball dropping conduit B above the receiving grooves B1. Each arcuate slot B3 has a through portion penetrating the wall of the paintball dropping conduit B and is fitted with a resilient stopper B4. Gas ducts B5 are penetratingly provided at a lower portion of the paintball dropping conduit B. The gun body C has a top end formed with a paintball dropping port C1 for receiving the paintball dropping conduit B inserted therein. Recesses C2 are provided on the inner wall of the gun body C and correspond in position to the stoppers B4 of the paintball dropping conduit B so that the stoppers B4 can be pressed outward.
However, the aforesaid structure has the following drawbacks in installation:
1. As the gas ducts are provided at the lower portion of the paintball dropping conduit, lack of precision in installing the paintball dropping conduit will increase the difficulty in connecting corresponding gas ducts and hence reduce the tightness therebetween.
2. The corresponding transmitting and receiving ends of the sensor must be inserted in a sliding manner from below the bottom end of the gun body into the receiving grooves externally and bilaterally provided at the bottom end of the paintball dropping conduit; however, the inserting operation is difficult to perform in such a limited space. Besides, the fixing element protrudingly provided at the bottom end of the paintball dropping conduit cannot be secured in place unless it is pivotally mounted with the mounting seat of the sensor first. Therefore, assembly of the various components of the structure is laborious and time consuming.